I love him, mother
by Revontuli
Summary: When Renée finds out about Bella's wedding plans, she boards the next flight to Seattle. Can she really talk Bella out of it, or will she learn to accept her decision? Post-Eclipse
1. First Reaction

This was actually my very first fanfiction that I wrote a few months ago. Obviously, the first chapter of Breaking dawn wasn't out yet, so I couldn't know how Renée would react. This was _my_ take on her reaction and views on marriage.

The whole story, like all my others, is already posted on another website, so if you've read it, you now know why.

Enjoy, and remember - This was my very first )

x-x-x-x

"Bella!"

My mother squealed in delight as she saw me. I was picking her up from the airport with Edward, and immediately wished I had turned him down when he'd insisted on coming with me. This was going to be embarrassing.

Renée took me in a tight hug as soon as she got to where we were standing.

"I've missed you so much! Thanks for picking us up."

She turned over to glance quickly at Edward. I could only imagine what she thought of him now… the fiancé of her teenage daughter planning to damn her to a lifetime of misery. Ugh. Little did she know that he was going to damn me to something far worse…

No. Stop. No need to think about that now.

"I've missed you too, mom. I'm so glad you came."

By now Phil had caught up with Renée and stood awkwardly behind her. He nodded once to acknowledge my presence and then shifted his eyes to Edward. I saw his jaw drop. But I couldn't blame him.

Edward was just as perfect as always, smiling politely and shaking hands with Mom. His chestnut hair, his dazzling eyes and muscular body were more than enough to intimidate any normal human-being.

"Nice to see you again, Renée."

His angelic voice only made Phil's jaw drop further, the shock plain in his eyes. I suppressed a chuckle.

"Well, are you ready for the ride home?" I asked, hoping to snap Phil back to reality. It worked.

"Um, sure."

Edward carried the luggage to his Volvo and got in the car. He was going to drive. Though I knew how slowly he could drive if he wanted to, I tried imagining my mother's face if she saw the way Edward really drove when he was alone with me or his family, well above the legal speed limit. I suppressed a chuckle again.

I got in the front seat, Renée and Phil in the back. It was silent for a while, and realizing that nobody would have the courage to say anything, I let my thoughts wander. I thought about the phone call which had caused my mother to take the first plane to Seattle.

_"Hello?" _

_"Hey, mom. It's me, Bella." _

_"Bella! How are you? You haven't answered my e-mail… I was starting to get worried! Where have you been?" _

_"Mom, I only just wrote you back last week. I was shopping with Alice this weekend and spent the night at her place. No need to panic." _

_"Shopping with Alice? Since when do you like shopping?" _

_"I don't." _

_It had been quiet for a while then, me thinking of how to break the news and Renée wondering why I was so hesitant. _

_"Bella? Is something wrong?" _

_"No, no. Nothing's wrong. Not at all. Actually, everything is more than wonderful."_

_Silence. _

_"Bella?" _

_"Mom, there's something I need to tell you." _

_I heard her intake of breath._

_"Yes?" _

_"Well… you know how much I love Edward, right?" _

_"Why? Did you break up with him?" _

_"No! But you know you can trust me, right?"_

_"Bella, spit it out! You're making me nervous."_

_I took a deep breath. _

_"Edward proposed to me.." _

_Renée fell silent. _

_"And… I accepted." _

_"No. Bella. Listen."_

_"Mom… please. We're getting married." _

_"Bella, you're 18! You can't possibly get married yet! Remember what happened to me when I married Charlie? I ruined my life! I never went to college, never got to see the world! I'm not letting that happen to you, too! Oh Bella, please listen…" _

_She was screaming now. I had to hold the phone away from my ear. _

_"MOM!" _

_"I always thought you were the responsible one, the mature one…" _

_"And I am! I'm not you, mom. And Edward is definitely not Charlie! I am not going to get knocked up and end up like you!!" _

_"Bella, I'm taking the next flight to Seattle. I'll call you with details later, so you can pick me up from the airport if you want to." _

_"That's ridiculous, mom. I'm sure we can sort this out over the phone…" _

_And she hung up on me. _

Edward parked the Volvo on one of the only three parking spots in front of Forks' only motel. The house looked a little shabby from the outside, but Charlie had assured me it was fine once you got inside. And there hadn't been much of a choice, really. There was no way we could have all fitted in Charlie's house. And they were _not_ going to stay at the Cullens'. That would have been a disaster.

Phil looked at the motel skeptically but didn't say anything. He had obviously heard my mum's horror stories about Forks and had expected something like this.

After carrying the luggage up to Renée's and Phil's room, Edward excused himself, saying I should spend some time with my mother alone. I frowned. Being alone with Mom was the last thing I wanted right now.

When she thought I wasn't looking, Renée motioned to Phil to go out of the room. Mumbling something about seeing the town, he walked out the door, closing it behind him. Now it was just us.

We both stayed silent at first. I knew what Renée wanted to talk to me about, and she knew how reluctant I was about that particular subject. But if we wanted to get anywhere, someone had to start. That might as well be me.

"So… has Forks changed a lot since you were here last?"

"No, it hasn't. It's exactly the same as last time… That was after Edward left you, I recall."

Forcing the images out of my mind, I sighed. I knew what she was getting at.

"He won't do that again, mom."

"You never know."

"I _do_ know, mom. If that's the only reason you don't want me to marry him, relax. He won't leave me again."

Renée frowned.

"That's not the only reason. You know that, Bella. I still think you're too young. Why not wait? You barely know this guy. I know you like him _now_, but what about in 5 years? When you've been in college, met new people… Who knows, you might meet someone you like even better. _He_ might meet someone he likes better. That happens a lot, you know. After high school friends just… drift apart. Live separate lives. Gain perspective."

Yes, I knew that was true. She would have been completely right if this was just some brief high school romance we were talking about.

"What I and Edward have is something more than that, mom. It's love. And we aren't going to drift apart, ever. We love each other too much for that."

I took a deep breath. I knew Renée was still skeptical, but at least she wasn't screaming at me like she had on the phone. But it was going to take more than a few words to convince her. Much, much more.

I was up for a long week.


	2. Presents

Edward was waiting in his silver car when I finally got out of the hotel. The conversation with Renée had been a little better than I had hoped for, which caused my mood to lighten up the tiniest bit. Maybe there was hope after all.

I ran over to the Volvo as quick as I could without tripping. Edward was already holding the door open for me, a worried smile on his perfect lips.

"Hello, love. How was it?"

I didn't answer until I was safely in the dry car with Edward next to me.

"Ok, I guess. Could have been worse."

Something about his expression then gave him away.

"You were listening!" I accused him. He really shouldn't have heard that particular conversation.

"I'm sorry. I read her thoughts earlier, and knew she wasn't going to be too easy on you," he answered guiltily "I figured I should be close by in case it got ugly."

His attempt to lighten my mood did the opposite. It only made me frown more.

"Well, hope you enjoyed it then, the very least."

Edward put his arm around my shoulder, and looked at me with his beautiful, butterscotch eyes.

"I am truly, deeply sorry. It was very rude of me to listen to your private conversation."

I nodded. Of course he was forgiven. He always was.

Edward shifted his eyes back to the road. "Now I see why you were so opposed to getting married… Your mother's reaction was stronger than what I'd expected. I'm sorry I'm putting you through this. Maybe we should cancel the wedding. Like I said, I'll still keep my side of the bargain. The offer from earlier this week still stands. I'm sure Renée would be more than pleased if she –"

"STOP!"

Edward turned to me again, his eyes full of the pain he hadn't wished for me to see.

"I'm getting married because I _want _to. Nobody can keep me from that. Not Mom, not Charlie, not even YOU."

This caused some of the pain in Edward's eyes to vanish, but his smile remained apprehensive.

"Thank you. So you really want this?"

"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it."

We were now parked in the Cullens' garage. I could see Rosalie's red convertible next to Carlisle's black Mercedes. If Edward could have his way, there would be another shiny and extremely over-priced car in here, possibly an Audi or something of that sort. That thought made me nauseous. If I'd let him, he'd probably bury me in presents, from diamond necklaces to enormous beach villas. And what could I give him? A book he'd probably already read? A CD he'd heard a thousand times? No, I couldn't let it get that far.

Thinking of presents suddenly made me notice something. I had never gotten Edward anything except for those concert tickets that ended up being used my Mike and Angela, instead. As I looked at the glimmering heart on my bracelet, I noted we were uneven already. I'd have to get him something good, something that would show him how much I really loved him. Something within my price range.

"Bella? What are you thinking about?"

I realized I was staring out the car window. Shaking my head, I turned to look at my subject of obsession. He was looking straight at me, a concentrated look on his face. Probably trying to decipher my thoughts. How long had I been sitting like that?

"Nothing special."

Of course he didn't believe me, I could tell. But he let the subject drop like I hoped he would, and turned his attention to something in the general direction of the house. His lips twitched.

"Emmett thinks we're about to make out and is waiting for the action. Maybe we should go inside now so he doesn't get too excited."

I snorted and blushed at the same time. Only Emmett could have that effect on me.

Edward stepped out of the car first and helped me out. We walked to the Cullen's marvelous, white house hand-in-hand.

Before we even got to the door, Alice dashed out and gave me a worried hug. "I'm sorry… You'll convince her soon enough though."

"Really?"

"Well, no, I can't really _see_ it happening."

The tiny shimmer of hope from earlier this morning disappeared. My expression must have given me away, because Alice hastily added, "_Yet._ She might change her mind any minute." She gave me a reassuring smile.

I didn't answer. I knew Renée so much better than Alice did, even with her psychic's skills. Only I knew exactly how stubborn she could be. If the Cullens knew her better, they'd be just as pessimistic as I was. And then it hit me – The Cullens had never met Renée. Edward was going to be her son-in-law soon, yet his own parents knew her only from my partly not very flattering stories. But could I really ask them to put on a human façade for a few hours, just for her?

"Um, Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Do you... could your… would it be possible for Mom to meet your family sometime soon?"

Alice started jumping around before Edward could answer. "Yes!! That would be… no, that _will_ be great! We could take her for a shopping trip to Seattle! Or… how about we go to Europe with her for a couple of days? Spain is too sunny, but it'll be cloudy in London this weekend, so we could…"

"_Alice!_ I was thinking about spending a quite afternoon here at Forks, actually. Nothing too fancy."

"Oh."

Alice's mouth pulled down at the corners.

"Hmm… maybe we should invite Renée over tomorrow. We could give her a tour of the house. And I'm sure she, Carlisle and Esme will have plenty to talk about. The rest of the family will be home, too."

I was happy to see the enthusiasm that always came when we talked about the wedding back on Edward's face. He didn't seem to have a problem with letting my mom meet his vampire family.

"That sounds perfect, Edward. But are you sure everyone will be all right with it? Rosalie, Jasper…"

"…will be on there best behavior. Don't worry. As a matter of fact, my family has been very eager to meet Renée for a while now. Especially Esme."

"I'll go tell the others!" Alice seemed to have regained most of her keenness as she danced back into the house.

Edward took my hand again and followed her in.

Emmett was sitting on the couch watching TV. As soon as we were in the room he jumped to his feet and was standing in front of us in a blink of an eye.

"So Renée is coming over? Perfect! Now we'll see exactly where Bella got her clumsiness from!"

I blushed. Why did Emmett constantly have to remind me about my feet's non-existent coordination skills? It was _their_ fault I always fell down. And my hands' fault that I dropped everything. And my head's fault that I banged it into every object within a ten-meter radius of me. And… no, let's leave it at that.

"Actually, I got most of my genes from Charlie. Mom and I are nothing alike."

Emmett just laughed and was suddenly sitting back on the big, white couch.

And then I was flying. Edward had swept me in his arms and was running upstairs at full speed. There he placed me on his bed and sat beside me.

"You're planning to give me a present."

It took me a minute to comprehend what he was saying. Alice was the culprit, no doubt. But I hadn't really decided _what_ to get him yet, so he couldn't know it himself, could he?

"Well… the thought crossed my mind. But I wanted it to be a surprise. I don't even know what I'm getting you yet."

"You don't have to get me anything."

"Yes, I do. But it won't be anything big, I promise. My pocket money isn't quite the same range as yours."

Edward thought about that for a second and smiled his crooked smile.

"Anything I get from you will be the most precious thing I own. But since I'm letting you get me a gift, am I allowed to get you one, as well?"

"No. Nice try, though."

"Isn't that a little unfair?"

"You've already given me a gift."

I held up my bracelet. The crystal – I was _not_ going to believe it was a real, ridiculously large diamond – reflected the light coming from outside and shot rainbows on the walls.

"That was your graduation present. You gave me the concert tickets, remember?"

"Which you couldn't use."

"Whether I used them or not, you still gave them to me. Ergo, it was a gift from _you_ to _me_. So if you give me another one, we'll be out of balance."

"We already are out of balance."

"That's what _you_ think."

"No."

"Please?"

And then his cool lips were on mine, kissing me gently. It was a short, but sweat kiss that left me hungry for more.

"_Please?_" he repeated, using the full force of his golden eyes on me.

After struggling to clear my head without any luck, I sighed.

"All right then, you unfair, annoying vampire! But don't you _dare _spend lots of money on this!"

Edward only smiled.


	3. The Visit

Renée finally showed some level of enthusiasm when I told her about the visit at the Cullens'. Even though she was still strongly opposed to the wedding, I could tell she was itching to meet my coming mother- and father-in-law. Maybe she hoped they would be just as shocked and unhappy about the whole thing as she was.

Edward and I picked her up from the motel the following day. Mom was actually smiling when we got there, though it faded as soon as Edward stepped out of the car to give her yet another handshake. I sighed. He was trying so hard.

"Good afternoon, Renée. I hope you enjoyed your first night here?"

Renée was still half-frowning when she answered, but her tone was polite.

"Hello, Edward. The night was alright, I suppose, if you forget the cockroaches and mouse traps we found in our closet. It's just the way things are here at Forks, I guess."

Renée addressed that last part to me.

"Forks isn't half bad, Mom."

"But you used to _hate _Forks! I remember the fits you threw whenever you had to spend your vacation here. It's as if you've completely transformed, Bella."

"Maybe I have."

Mom didn't answer that, but got in the car instead. Phil joined her in the back; I slid in the front seat next to Edward. I had a feeling this car trip wasn't going to be any better than the last one.

Renée did some talking, mostly with me and ignoring Edward completely. Occasionally she turned to Phil with a question, which he answered with a simple nod or grunt. He was clearly not here voluntarily.

"So, will your whole family be there?"

That was the first time Renée had talked directly to Edward during the whole ride.

"All my sisters and brothers. And my parents, of course."

"I hope I'm not disturbing them with my visit."

"Not at all! They are all very excited."

"You'll love them, Mom. They're all very nice."

By now we had nearly reached the house. The forest surrounding us was getting thinner and lighter. Phil was looking out of the car window skeptically. Maybe he thought that the Cullens were some kind of hermits living in a tiny, wooden house in the middle of the woods. I tried to imagine Carlisle with a beard and shaggy clothes. This time I couldn't suppress my chuckle. All heads in the Volvo turned to me, and I blushed. I murmured an apology and looked out of the window, avoiding their curious looks.

I still felt like bursting into a laugh from my earlier thoughts, when suddenly the Cullen house, or rather the mansion, came into view. Renée's mouth hung open and Phil went all white. For him, this was probably worse than the hermits.

"You… you… live in _that_?" my mother managed to utter. Of course she had known the Cullens were wealthy, but this was obviously more than she had ever expected.

"Architecture is Esme's favorite hobby. She designed it all," Edward answered, amused by her reaction. And Phil's thoughts were probably very entertaining, too.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I should have warned you."

Renée just shook her head.

Edward drove the car into the garage. Renée and Phil barely had time to recover from the astonishment the house had given them, when they fell into a new state of shock by the sight of the many expensive vehicles parked around us.

"Carlisle collects cars," Edward said matter-of-factly, most likely responding to an unasked question he had picked out from their minds.

Mom was already wearing her friendliest smile when we got to the front door of the house. At least she was trying to behave herself, I noticed with relief. Hopefully she could keep it up.

Edward opened the door and let me and the guests enter before him. I was the first inside, and spotted the whole Cullen clan standing at the foot of the stairs. Carlisle and Esme came forward when they saw us walk in.

"Mom, this is Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Edward's parents. Carlisle and Esme, this is my mom Renée and her husband, Phil."

They shook hands. Esme was beaming more than I had ever seen her beam before, and Carlisle was radiating welcome.

"Nice to see you again, Renée. It's been a while."

"It's nice to see you again, too, Dr. Cullen."

"Please, do call me Carlisle."

"Of course, Carlisle."

Odd. Mom didn't look the slightest bit nervous, but actually quite at ease standing there.

"And your wife, Esme. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all on my side, Renée. I'm happy to finally meet you."

Then I took my first glance at Phil. I could have sworn he'd be cowering in the corner by then, but instead he shook hands with Carlisle and Esme almost as comfortably as Renée had done. It wasn't normal.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice bouncing up and down impatiently, and I hurried to introduce the rest of the family.

"Mom, I also want you to meet Edward's siblings, Alice –"

Alice was hugging my mom before I could finish.

"It _so _nice to _finally_ meet you, Renée!"

"-and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett."

Mom was still in Alice's tight grasp when I finished my introduction. She looked a little startled, but eventually relaxed and hugged Alice back. I could still see some surprise in her eyes, though. A surprise that came from something other than Alice's warm welcome. Was she noticing how cold and hard the Cullens all were?

"Thank you, Alice. It's great to meet all of you, too."

I glanced at the Cullens. They were all smiling, even Rosalie, and stepping forward to shake hands with Renée and Phil. Only Jasper stayed behind, probably on Edward's command. That's when I noticed why the guests were suddenly so confident. Jasper must be controlling their emotions! I'd have to thank him later. It just made the visit that much easier for all of us.

Once the welcomes were over with, Edward sat us all at the couch, fetching a few chairs for the missing places. I was squished between Mom and Alice on the large sofa. Phil was on Renée other side, and was staring at the members of the Cullen family, shocked at their beauty. He especially gaped at Rosalie a lot, which she obviously noticed when she seated herself exactly opposite him. To give him a better view, no doubt.

Carlisle began with some polite small-talk.

"How long will you be staying here at Forks, Renée? It's still another six weeks until the wedding."

"I haven't booked my return flight yet, so I think I'll stay for as long as I am needed."

Translation – As long as it takes to convince Bella to leave the marrying for later. Ugh.

"You can help with the wedding planning, if you like. Bella isn't being very cooperative, so I could use a hand," Alice said cheerfully. It was true – I wasn't being very enthusiastic about the planning. I simply didn't care about what color the flower arrangements were, or what shaped plates the guests would eat from.

"Yes, the wedding… Wow, that's something, isn't it?"

I cringed. Even though I had been preparing myself for this topic all day, I still didn't feel anywhere close to ready to talk about it. Renée was looking for someone to support her opinions of marriage, and was hoping she would get some from the Cullens. This was going to be a fierce battle.

"It really is something. Edward and Bella will be very happy together."

I cheered in my mind for Esme.

"Of course, of course. But isn't it possible to be happy _without_ being married first?"

Wow. Mom's tactic today was to be straightforward. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, I could not tell.

"I'm sure they would, but if this is what they want… why not? They'll get married sooner or later, so it might as well be sooner."

This came from Carlisle. His tone wasn't impolite or offending in any way, but the words were just as genuine as those of my mother's. This seemed to agitate Renée even further, which made her throw out the Charlie-card.

"But wouldn't later be more responsible? I'm sorry, but I'm sure you understand my reasons for being this hostile. I do not wish the same fate for my daughter as mine. Please don't get me wrong – I'm not charging Edward of anything. But you never know what the future holds out for us."

I threw a quick glance at Alice. She caught my eye and smirked.

"We certainly understand your views and worries, Renée."

"Then please tell me why you are not at all anxious about this? Both our children are still very young, with their whole lives ahead of them. This could ruin their chances of ever fulfilling their dreams!"

I could feel the blood rush up to my cheeks then, and was sure I looked like a tomato.

This was worse than I had feared. It was bad enough that Mom was so aggressive when she spoke to me alone, but I wouldn't have thought that she'd be just the same with the whole Cullen family around us. Fighting the urge to run away screaming, I closed my eyes and sank back in my chair. I didn't want to see the expressions on the Cullens' faces.

But then I felt a wave of calm wash over me, and though it didn't quite erase all my humiliation and shame for my mother, I was able to open my eyes again. I gave Jasper a small, grateful smile, and he smiled back the same way.

"Please don't be so pessimistic, Renée. Maybe this will do the exact opposite and_ help_ them accomplish any goals they might have in life."

Alice didn't look too excited anymore as she said that. She had clearly not been expecting my mother to act like this any more than I had.

As soon as I felt my voice was strong enough to talk again, I decided to step in. Mom should be directing this conversation at _me_, not at the Cullens.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say. For one, I wanted to tell Renée that the only dream I had was to be turned into a vampire and to live an eternity with Edward. Secondly, I wanted to tell her how humiliated she made me feel and how disappointed I was in her right now, like a mother talking to her poorly behaving child. Except that now, it was the other way around, like it always was with the two of us.

Instead, I decided to try calming her down.

"Mom, please. Listen to me. Yes, I'm marrying Edward. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on my whole life."

My voice almost broke there, and I stopped to take a deep breath. Giving up my whole life was exactly what I was doing by choosing to become a vampire. Though I couldn't see Edward from where I was sitting, I knew exactly what he must have been feeling – guilt, anxiety. To prevent myself from looking at him, and my mother from getting too suspicious by my long pause, I continued.

"I'm still going to college, Mom. Then I'm going to do exactly what I'd do _without_ Edward, whatever it may be. I'm going to have a career and money and everything that comes with it. The only difference _with_ Edward will be that I'll be _happy_. And he'll be happy, too."

Only the last part wasn't a lie. I'd be in no state to go to college next year at all, and if I ever did, it wouldn't be the same. And I could never start a career, at least not for a very, very long time. And that, too, would be because of a completely different motivation than 'leading a normal life'. But I _was _going to be happy. Of that I was sure.

My short speech seemed to leave Renée astounded for a moment, giving me time to look at the faces of my future family. Even under Jasper's influence, Emmett was looking as uncomfortable as Phil was. Alice obviously wasn't at all pleased with the turn this conversation had taken. Rosalie, to my great astonishment, looked almost sad. It took me a second to realize why. She was probably thinking about the lies I had just been forced to tell, and what I was giving up with my insane wish to become one of them. Not wanting to think about it now, I quickly turned my head to Carlisle and Esme, who were both looking at me. They smiled a reassuring smile when I met their gaze, and I tried my best to smile back. At least they didn't seem offended by my mother's harsh words.

I turned to look to my left, where Edward was sitting. He, too, was staring at me, and reached out to take my hand. His cold touch calmed me down even more than Jasper's abilities had, and I could feel my head clearing up.

Reluctant to look away from Edward's beautiful eyes, I turned back to look at Renée and Phil. She had recovered, and opened her mouth as soon as she had my attention again:

"You make it sound so simple, Bella. But in married life, you get pretty careless, thinking that nothing bad can happen to you anymore. And then you forget to take the pill one day… It can come to that very quickly. There go your dreams and hopes for the future! Suddenly you're a teenage mom with nothing to do but to hope that your husband stays with you through the rough times."

"MOM!"

I was crying now. The tears streamed down my most likely very red face, and I was shaking from anger and embarrassment. Jasper sent over an extra strong wave of calm, but it wasn't quite enough to stop the crying.

What I wanted most was to stand up and run from the room, away from Renée, away from the Cullens, away from _myself_. I yearned for my own, quiet room, to curl up, and to bury myself in the misery. How could Renée do this to me? She was being even worse than I had ever feared. Maybe I _should_ cancel the wedding, to make her happy. I pictured her pleased face in my mind when she'd find out I was being sensible after all. But Edward's face popped into my mind next, and I knew I could never do that to him. He wanted this so badly…

No. I had to put a stop to this. Even if I would have to lie to accomplish that.

"Mom? I have to tell you something. I wasn't going to tell anyone but Edward about this, but now I guess I have no choice."

My voice was still weak, and it was a struggle to make it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Shock and anger flashed on Renée's face.

"I _KNEW _it!! You're knocked up!! What did I say? I knew it, I _knew_ it…"

"NO! I said _listen_. I'm not knocked up, but what I have to say is closely related to that subject. You see, I was at the gynecologist's a few months ago for my yearly check up. And he found something… strange. So he ran some tests and came to the result that… well, there's something wrong with my ovaries. I'm infertile."

I had no idea what I was saying, and hoped badly that my mother wouldn't ask what _exactly_ was supposed to be wrong with my ovaries. I knew I couldn't have answered convincingly enough.

Renée didn't know what to say to that. She just stared at me in shock, just like everyone else in the room. My face was feeling very hot, and I was sure that I looked like I might explode any minute. But at least now my mother couldn't bring up the pregnancy argument anymore.

"So… yeah. If you'll excuse me…"

I stood up and started making my way upstairs. My legs wobbled dangerously, and I had to concentrate hard on every step I took. But all I wanted at that point was to _get out_.

Because I knew everyone was still looking at me, and I wanted to break down in peace.


	4. Comfort

As soon as I was out of sight, I allowed my tears to come again. Trying very hard not to sob too loud for my mother to hear, I leaned against the wall next to the staircase. My feet wouldn't carry me anymore.

But before I had time to collapse, I felt Edward's marble arms pick me up and carry me to his room. He set me on his bed and hugged as tight as he could without hurting me.

We stayed like that for a while. Eventually, my no longer quiet sobbing started resembling something like breathing again.

"Bella? Are you alright?"

"No."

Edward loosened his grip enough to be able to look at me in the eyes.

"Don't be sad, please. I can't take it."

"How can I not be? You saw how my mom behaved today."

"We'll win her over. I promise."

"You can't promise that."

"I think I might. Your last… confession really shocked her."

"You mean my last lie? Yes, it probably did."

"I'm sorry you had to lie for me."

"_You_ don't have to be sorry about anything! Mom should be the one to apologize. I understand if she wants to talk to _me_ that way, but why did she have to let all her frustration out on your family? She _humiliated_ herself, and me!"

"Renée is only worried."

"She has no reason to be."

"Doesn't she?"

And it was true – Mom had every reason to be worried. But she herself didn't know the real reasons.

"She not anxious about me becoming a vampire! She's scared that you'll turn me into some boring, old housewife!"

"And that isn't the case, is it? So we can convince her that she is wrong."

I couldn't argue with Edward. He would twist anything I said to make it sound like we still had hope. But hope was long lost.

Renée was never going to change her mind.

"Bella… please stop crying. There's always a solution."

"No… not this time."

I had another sobbing fit, and Edward took me tight in his arms again. He cradled me back and forth, stroking my hair, kissing my forehead, until I calmed down again.

"Did… Did th-they leave?"

"Carlisle offered them a ride back to the motel. Renée didn't really want to leave you here like this, but needed some time to figure out what to say to you. Like I said, your speech in the end shocked her quite a bit."

"Does it make any difference?"

"I think it does. Renée is much more worried about your health than the wedding now."

"_Oh no!_"

My planned hadn't worked. Instead of lessening her worries, I had only given Mom yet another reason to be scared for me.

"Shhh… it's ok. It's going to be alright."

Nothing was going to be alright. Renée was against the marriage now more than ever, the Cullens were caught in the crossfire, and I needed to find out more about ovaries to be able to maintain my lie.

"Bella?"

"Mmm?"

"I don't want to see you miserable. I love you."

Hearing those words was like seeing an oasis in the middle of the dry dessert. Yes, the current situation was hopeless, but what did it matter, when I had Edward here with me? My very own Greek god, my comforter, my _fiancé_... He was _mine_. I could get through anything in the world with that knowledge.

So I wiped the tears from my cheeks and took a deep breath. I'll survive. I'll live. And then I'll die to be with Edward forever. Not a bad trade at all.

"So… do you know what you want to get me yet?"

This sudden change of subject confused me, until I noticed he was trying to distract me. I warmly welcomed the chance to think of something other than Renée for a minute, and took the bait.

"No, not really. I haven't even thought about it yet, to be honest."

"No wonder Alice didn't see anything last evening. I was listening to her every thought, but couldn't see what you were planning."

"That is not fair! _Please_ don't try to figure out what I'm getting you. I want it to be a surprise."

"That might be difficult."

"_Please?_"

Edward's eyes were full of reluctance.

"Fine. I'll stay out of Alice's head as well as I can. But I can't promise anything- it's difficult to block her thoughts. She's screaming at me through them right now, actually."

"Why is she screaming?"

"Well… She feels like I'm keeping you from her. She'd like to go through the invites with you again."

I moaned. Alice had chosen the kitschiest wedding invites in the history of man, ivory with petals printed all over them. They were horrible. But I hadn't objected- What did it matter, anyways? They could just as well be pieces of scrap paper with the date and time scribbled on them. All the fancy writing and pictures were just details that kept Alice pleased. She had free reign. For all I cared, she could dress me in a clown costume and play piñata with me. Not that I'd survive her swing of the bat.

"I don't feel like wedding planning today."

"That's what I thought."

Edward kissed me lightly on the forehead.

"You've calmed down? Do you want to talk about it now?"

I had calmed down. Though my face was still wet from my tears, my breathing had returned to normal and my brain functioned fairly well again. And we were having this conversation sooner or later, so it might as well be now. I sighed.

"What am I going to tell her? I know nothing about infertility… I won't know what to tell her. And she definitely will ask."

"I've been to medical school twice, remember? I can name you plenty of complicated diseases that might have caused it. You'll just have to take your pick."

"I'm not a good liar. Mom will see right through me."

"She'll be too ashamed to say anything."

"Ashamed?"

"Well, when she left, she was regretting the way she talked to you earlier today. She'd do anything to take it all back."

"She was sorry?"

"Of course. She cares about you a lot."

"What a great way to show it."

"Be easy on her."

"I will."

Even though my mother had behaved so ridiculously with the Cullens, I still hadn't forgotten her reasons for it. She loved me, and didn't want me to end up like her. How could I be angry at her for that?

"I should go home. Charlie is probably waiting for dinner."

"Are you sure? We could call and say you're staying here for the night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, right."

Of course Charlie would mind. He didn't like the thought of me and Edward sleeping even in the same house unless it was under his supervision. Little did he know that I shared my room with Edward every night… He'd have a heart attack if he found out. I thought it was all a little silly. After all, I was marrying Edward. I should be allowed to do whatever I wanted with my husband.

All in all, Charlie had taken in the news quite well. Of course he had screamed at first, and still didn't approve, but he was being very grown-up about the whole thing. He never mentioned it anymore, which was just fine for me. I'd rather not talk about it with him, fearing that it might trigger the shouting again.

"Take me home, please."

Edward sighed.

It was eight o'clock in the evening. I had told Edward to give me some privacy for a while, and assumed he must have gone hunting somewhere nearby. He most likely knew the reason behind my wish to be alone, so he hadn't put up a fight when I told him to leave.

I needed to come up with something to give to Edward.

But what in the world could I give him that he didn't already have? At first I thought of writing a list of things, then choosing the best idea out of them. But the piece of paper in front of me was blank. I didn't even have_ one_ idea.

My present for him would have to be something special, something with a meaning.

Something he couldn't just buy from the store next-door.

For my last birthday, Edward had given me a CD with him playing the piano. I guess I could put together one as well with his and my favorite songs on it. But where was the point in that, when he already owned an extensive music collection that dated back to the twenties?

Jewelry was even more pointless. A man didn't need any, and Edward would make any diamond he wore only look pathetic. Besides, there was no way I could ever afford buying one.

Cologne? No, that was the stupidest idea yet. It would only cover his marvelous scent that I cherished. There was not a smell in the world that could compete with that.

It was useless. My imagination was running out; there was nothing precious enough in the world that could resemble my love for him. There was nothing he wanted…

And then it hit me. There _was_ something he wanted that only I could give him. Something we both valued beyond measure.

And that was exactly what I was going to give to Edward.


	5. Uncovering Lies

When I woke up in the morning, Edward was laying right next to me, stroking my cheek.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"You tell me."

Edward chuckled. I knew what I had dreamt about that night, and knew that he had probably heard every minute of it. But I was far too confused in the morning to feel embarrassed.

"You _did_ sound like you were enjoying yourself. I think you kept repeating something like 'present, present' all through the night."

"Nothing more?"

"No."

Either Edward was lying, or I had really managed to keep my idea a secret from him. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, so I assumed it wasn't the former case.

My dream that night had been about me giving Edward his present. In it, we were standing in the meadow, the sun rays reflecting off his marble skin. Not a cloud was in sight. After kissing me passionately for a few seconds, Edward took the gift I was holding out for him from my hand. Slowly, he opened it. And then his eyes shone with delight and he swept me off my feet and in his arms.

"You know what you're getting me."

"Yes, I do."

"Alice was translating Homer's Iliad to Mandarin Chinese all night."

"You promised to stay out of her head!"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to take a little peek. And it didn't work, like you heard."

"I'll have to thank Alice later for that. Please, can you suppress your curiosity for a couple of days? I'll need that time to get it ready."

"Very well."

I was still ecstatic about my gift to him. I couldn't believe that I had actually come up with something good, something he would surely like.

After stretching my legs under the blanket, I threw it off and went to have my first 'human moment' of the day. While I was in the shower, my thoughts wandered back to Renée. Today she would want to talk, without a doubt. Heck, I was surprised she hadn't called already.

But whether it was to scream at me or to apologize, I wasn't sure.

When I went downstairs after finishing my morning ritual, I found the phone cable on the kitchen table. Next to it, there was a note from Charlie:

_Renée called. Eight times. Please call her back. And tell her not to call that early in the morning again. She was driving me nuts._

_But it sounded like something important. Just call her._

I sighed. Edward had read the note from over my shoulder, and now handed me his cell.

"The sooner you do it, the sooner it'll be over with."

He was right. I had absolutely no desire to speak to my mother about this yet, or anytime for that matter, but it was inevitable. I snatched the phone from his hand and dialed Renée's motel room number.

Phil picked up after three rings.

"Phil? It's me, Bella. Please get my mom on the phone."

Before he could say anything, I heard my mother's frantic voice on the other end of the line. Renée had obviously seized the phone from Phil before he could respond.

"Bella, Bella? I'm _so_ sorry! Is there anything I can do to make it right? If I'd have known…"

"Mom? Please calm down. I forgive you. But you _were_ rather rude yesterday. Just promise you won't talk like that in front of the Cullens again. I wouldn't be surprised if they hated you now."

"Anything! I promise! But what you said… about your infertility? Is that true? What's wrong with you?"

Ooops. I hadn't asked Edward about the diseases. Panicking, I tried to think of something to say. But Edward was already holding a paper with his elegant handwriting in his hand.

"Um, well. I have… uh… Po-ly-cys-tic ovary syndrome."

Wait. What was that?

"Oh! That's… terrible! Is it dangerous?"

Was it?

Edward shook his head.

"Apparently not."

"What caused it? Why do you have this… um… syndrome?"

The piece of paper in Edward's hand suddenly reappeared with more notes on it.

"It… uh… It's the most common hormonal disorder among women. About 10 of the population has it, so I guess it's not that bad… But the causes are unknown."

"But isn't there any treatment for it?"

Darn. Edward, _do something!_

A new line of writing appeared on the crib sheet.

"Well, there are some, but they don't always work. And as long as I'm not under treatment, I'm staying infertile."

"I see."

There was a long pause. I gave Renée some time to go over the information that I, or rather Edward, had just given to her. Fortunately, the questioning seemed to be over.

"I see…"

I could almost hear Renée's brain ticking through the phone, even without vampire hearing.

It was silent for a long while, and I was beginning to get worried. Edward played with my fingers while he waited patiently.

"Bella? You don't have to do this."

"Mom? Do what?"

"Lie to me. I see what you're doing. You're obviously trying to calm me down with this talk about the Poly-whatever-it-was syndrome. So either you have some deadly disease you don't want to tell me about, or you're not infertile at all."

She hadn't believed me. Why did Renée have to be so observant?

Another wave of panic washed through me. What in the world was I going to say?

"Oh god, it's really bad, isn't it? You're dying of some terrible disease -"

"- _Mom!_ No, I'm not dying."

"So you lied."

I couldn't say anything to that.

"But why, Bella? What forced you to lie to me?"

My sight became blurry, and I noticed I was on the verge of tears.

"Because you were so worried about me getting pregnant! There in the Cullens' living room, you were so out of yourself… I had to say _something_! I know it was stupid, but infertility was the first thing that came in my mind that I knew would shut you up!"

"Oh Bella… What happened to us? It's as if there's nothing left of those happy times we shared together. All we do is argue."

I couldn't agree more. Even though I loved my new life here at Forks, I still sometimes missed the hot summer nights in the back garden of our house with Renée. Everything was so simple back then, with no wedding with a supernatural creature between us. I could tell Renée everything; we had no secrets from each other…

Things had changed. My life had been turned upside-down in a time span of less than two years. Did Renée really have no role in it anymore?

"I'm sorry, Mom…"

All I could manage was a whisper. The tears were rolling down my cheeks freely now, and Edward took me in his arms, holding me together.

"Maybe we should talk about this in person."

Mom's voice was hoarse from crying, too. "Yes… come to the motel right away, ok? We have to sort this out."

"Sure. See you then."

That was the end of our phone call. Edward took the cell from my hand so he could hug me closer.

"I'm sorry she didn't believe you. I should have prepared you with the information earlier."

I didn't answer, but a voice in the back of my head said it was better this way. Maybe Renée and I could finally clear out the constant arguing and move on. Even though I couldn't tell her everything, I didn't want to lie to her any more than necessary. And I didn't want to leave her forever with all these unsolved issues between us.

And there, in the chilly embrace of Edward's arms, I felt hope for the first time in days.


	6. Forgiveness is divine

_While reading this chapter, please bear in mind that I'm not a poet )  
This is the last chapter, but there's still an epilogue.  
Thank you for reading my very first fanfic!_

x-x-x-x

Edward dropped me off at the motel after I had eaten my breakfast. I couldn't get much down, though, as I was worried about the upcoming meeting with my mom. Our relationship was strained from all the fighting, and as much as I wished to put an end to it, I was scared. What if the damage was beyond repair?

"Good luck."

Edward saw the fear in my eyes, which set his own anxiety off. But he knew as well as I did that this had to be done, preferably sooner than later. He kissed me swiftly, and then let me walk towards my downfall.

I bumped into Phil while entering the motel. Renée had probably sent him out when she'd seen me arrive through their room's window.

"Hey, Isabella."

Phil never remembered to use my nickname. I figured he wasn't interested enough to care. He and I had never really gotten along, though we never fought. We simply endured each other; he minded his own businesses, and I mine.

He rushed passed me without saying another word. Forks hadn't found a place in his heart, so it seemed.

Hesitantly, I walked up the flight of stairs that led to my mother's room. Still considering just turning around and leaving, I paused before knocking at the door, which was already open, however, and I was forced to walk straight in.

Renée was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Her eyes were swollen, presumably from crying all night, and she was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She looked downright miserable.

I closed the door behind me, but didn't go any further into the room. Renée didn't approach me, either, and we looked at each other for a very long moment before she finally burst into tears.

I, too, couldn't hold myself back any longer, and we both fell into each other's arms, sobbing and soothing one another at the same time. We stayed like that for a couple minutes, of which every single one felt like an eternity.

And though no words were spoken, the most of our conversation happened there, in our crying fit. All the tension between us from the past days crashed down, the invisible wall between us toppled into a million pieces. Each blow of the stones hitting the ground hurt us, but we withstood it, and in the end all that was left was the gathering of the ruins.

"I'm… I'm… _so_ sorry! Words can't express how horrible I feel about yesterday. It was unforgivable of me to treat the Cullens that way."

"And I'm sorry about lying to you. You have every reason never to trust me again, for as long as I live!"

"Because of one little lie that _I_ caused you to utter? No, no, Bella. You didn't lose my trust."

"What you did wasn't unforgivable either - If it weren't for me, you'd not even be here. I know what your opinions on marriage are, but still I decided to do exactly what you fear the most. But I can't cancel the wedding, Mom. It would crush Edward, even if he'd try very hard not to show it. And I want it, too…"

"I don't approve."

This made me cry again, and I turned my head away so Renée wouldn't see the tears.

"Hear me out, Bella! I said I don't approve of it, but did I say I didn't accept your decision?"

My eyes widened in shock at these words. My mother, Renée, the biggest marriage antagonist on Earth, had just said that she would let me go through with my wedding?

"Wh-what? You understand why I want to do this?"

"No, not understand. I still think this is irresponsible of you and not the best way to start your adult life, but why should you be the only one to make compromises? You promised never to lie to me again; well, this is my promise to you. You will hear no more harsh words or opinions on this subject from me."

It took me a while to grasp what she was saying.

My own mother would be there, at my wedding, smiling just like everyone else in the room. She would watch me marry the man of my dreams, and not scream at me throughout the process. Of course she didn't like it, but just having her consent was enough, more than I could have wished for.

And I could step into eternity with a light heart.

"Mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have _no idea_ what this means to me! I tried imagining you _not_ there, and it was unbearable…"

"My only daughter is getting married - how could I not be there? Edward is a fine, young lad, even if his ways _are_ a little… old-fashioned, I must say. If someone can make you happy, it'll be him."

New tears were rolling down my cheeks now, as well as hers. But these weren't tears of sadness and desperation anymore - they were tears of joy.

We both found ourselves laughing, out of relief more than anything else. Hugging each other, we sat there for a while, relishing the peace that finally lay between us.

"And you know what, Mom?"

"What?"

"Alice will _love_ to have your help for the wedding planning."

And so we laughed the whole evening, coming up with new ways to escape Alice's enthusiasm.

Three days later, the sun peeked out from under the almost permanent layer of clouds in the sky. It was warm, warm enough for my summer clothes that had been in the farthest corner of my closet for my entire stay at Forks.

I loved the feeling of warm air brushing my ankles that weren't covered by boots this time, the cold touch of Edward's arms on my bare legs, and the wind blowing on my, for once exposed, shoulders.

He was running through the forest with me on his back. The damp air multiplied the effect of the sun's heat, and if I closed my eyes I could easily imagine myself on some tropical island in the south. But when I tried that exercise, I realized I already was where I wanted to be most on that day - heading for the meadow with my very own vampire.

In my hand I carried an envelope. Edward's eyes wandered to it every now and then, though he tried very hard to conceal the movement. He didn't want me to see the true extent of his curiosity.

The thin paper of the envelope hid my gift to him.

I had worked on it intensively for the past few days. Edward had been sent out every night before bedtime, so I could concentrate fully on the task at hand. The result pleased me fairly well, and I hope with all my might that Edward would like it, too. He certainly seemed very curious.

Amazingly, he hadn't figured it out yet. I thought it was pretty obvious, now that I had come up with it. It was exactly what he always said he wanted, what I refused to fully give him over and over again.

We had reached our meadow by now, and I got off his back. Edward twirled me around abruptly and stared into my eyes.

"_What_ did you get me?"

I smiled. The suspense was driving him crazy, I could tell. I had never seen his eyes sparkle as strongly as they did now, nor the impatient expression he was wearing. His mouth was twisted into a half-tortured smile, not from physical pain, but from eagerness that he was trying very hard to suppress.

"You didn't look into Alice's mind again, then, did you?"

"No. And I regret it now."

Edward was acting like a little boy before receiving his birthday present. I swear - If I hadn't known Edward better than this, I would have been waiting for him to start bouncing up and down.

"Well, you're going to have to work a little to get it."

I wasn't playing fair, but I was having way too much fun to care.

"_Bella!_ You'll be the death of me one day, I swear you will…"

"That's highly unlikely, I would say."

He groaned. _I_ was enjoying myself; _he_, not so much.

"What do I need to do?"

"Kiss me."

I didn't have to wait much longer. Suddenly, Edward's lips were on mine, kissing me with passion I had never felt before. No, that passion had always been there - now Edward just surrendered to it, at least to some measure. I brought my tongue out, willing to taste his fragrance in my mouth, and to my great surprise, Edward's tongue met mine. It was stone hard, as expected, but the flavor was better than I had ever dared to dream - sweet, intoxicating…

The kiss lasted for quite long, but it still felt like too short for me. His tongue had kept me away from his inner mouth, which was full of the venomous teeth he so often warned me about, and I imagined some unexplored cave, an opening to something mysteriously compelling. One day I was going to venture inside. But it would have to wait.

"So… you want your gift?"

Edward didn't say a word, but looked at me with pleading eyes.

I handed him the envelope. He carefully ripped it open, and took out the pieces of paper folded inside.

_Dear Edward..._

_Many evenings I have rested in your arms, wondering what I was going to give you. There seemed to be nothing in the world that could make a suitable gift. For you, my love, deserve more than I could ever give you._

_So I asked myself: What do you want? What do you need? And then I remembered what you always say you long for. It is so simple, yet so precious for the both of us, and I know you will cherish this as much as I do._

_Please understand that I would never be sharing this with anyone but you. Only you, my beloved Edward, I feel safe enough around with. You found your way into my heart long ago, and now I am finally raising the curtain to show you my insides, my soul, my thoughts._

_Yes, Edward. These are my thoughts._

_Unedited, undisguised, plain for you to see. _

_x-x _

_Remember that afternoon, at lunch in Forks High?__  
__When I looked over to you first, you just looked by,__  
__Your very presence entranced me; put me under spell,__  
__Your attributes of pure beauty that I now know so well._

_With bronze hair, all ruffled up, I so wished I could stroke!__  
__With features flawless like the stars, it takes less to provoke!__  
__And your eyes, your angel's eyes, shining bright from deep within,__  
__A spirit still mysterious, a puzzle to sink in!_

_And then we met, as fate wanted, in that crowded room,__  
__Our eyes met for a moment, and that was then my doom,__  
__Black as coal, you stared at me, I did not believe true,__  
__Whatever had I done that day, to infuriate you?_

_Your eyes had lightened up, when I saw you the next time,__  
__I heard your angelic voice, like a twinkle, a wind chime,__  
__And though you did your very best, there's no fooling me,__  
__There was something special in you, I could clearly see._

_The many weeks, the many hours, always slowly seemed to pass,__  
__My mind sought for my savior, my friend. My lover? Not a chance.__  
__Why would someone like you, my dear, love me, a silly commoner?__  
__Surely my pain is just one-sided, of course you have another._

_But we grew close, as I wanted, but there was a missing piece,__  
__How could you keep a secret from me, how could our love unleash?__  
__I observed your stance, your speed, your strength, I knew I could uncover,__  
__The mystery between us, so you could be my lover._

_The tribe's amazing stories are what showed me the real truth,__  
__I admit I was a little scared, but I still wanted proof.__  
__A beast is what they call you, what if they were right?__  
__No, I would not stay away; I could not win that fight._

_Physically you are a monster, with instincts for the kill,__  
__But in your mind you are a human, able to fall ill,__  
__Sick with love, with passion, with trust,__  
__What matters the bloodlust?_

_So no, you are not Heathcliff, the cruel demon set for misery,__  
__You are an angel in your heart, the outside props just there to see,__  
__The shallow way you regard yourself is finally wearing thin,__  
__For you are truly good, you see, underneath your skin!_

_And now I ask myself this: Why are you here with me?__  
__Why did you stay for dinner, and not just for the tea?__  
__Why do I detect no false note in your tales of love?__  
__And why am I the princess in them, the one you want most of all? _

_x-x_

_Yes, Edward, that is what I think. You are good. Please see that._

_When I'm lost in thought by your side, it's you I'm thinking about. When I drift to sleep in your arms at night, it's you I'm dreaming about. Every thought ends up by you, whether I want it or not._

_And I want it. Forever._

_I hope you see how uninteresting my thoughts really are now. I'm sure you'd get quite bored, hearing about yourself all the time._

_I love you._

_Bella_

I'm sure Edward looked at my poem for longer than he really needed to. His face was glowing with joy, and he looked like he would be shaking if he weren't an always so graceful vampire.

My own heart swelled with joy, too - he liked the gift, I could tell.

Finally, he looked up at me.

"Bella… I…"

What? Edward was speechless?

"…that was… beautiful."

Suddenly, he was all over me, his hands in my hair, his mouth on mine… The moment was pure bliss. Better than my dream. Better than _heaven_, I'm sure. But all too soon, I was gasping for air and he was forced to let go of me.

While I tried to concentrate on my breathing again, Edward spoke, holding me close to his chest.

"Twenty years ago, Alice gave me a golden Rolex for Christmas. Carlisle got me a cruise later that decade, and Emmett a 1960 Aston Martini. Three years back, Esme bought me the piano that now stands in our front hall -"

I gasped. Apparently, the Cullens were very generous when it came to gifts. How could I ever keep up with multimillionaire vampires?

"- but this… This poem is the most beautiful, treasured item in my possession. Nobody, _nobody_, could come up with something like this except you. It's exactly what I wanted, thank you. The charm, the ring, the CD… They all can't compare. I'll owe you forever. And we are definitely out of balance now - you are the heavy weight, and I'm just a sand grain holding on at the other side. No, don't contradict, it's true…"

Smiling, I answered in a whisper, "I knew you would like it. But the forces of nature are pulling at us both, I would say. Maybe balance is already achieved?"

"_You_ are the force of nature. _Your_ gravity is holding me on earth."

"Pah! You _are_ the earth - I'm just your satellite, your moon."

This little argument could have lasted quite a while, but it was interrupted by a kiss.

The sun was shining down on us, this time not mocking, but reflecting our emotions. Renée was on my team again, Edward had his gift, and I had him. Everything was all right. And whatever would happen in the future was meant to be.

And once more, fate was on my good side.


	7. Epilogue Adonis and Aphrodite

_The last chapter/epilogue. Thank you for reading!_

x-x-x-x

It wasn't until later that evening that I figured out why I was feeling so suspicious about Edward's behavior.

After receiving his gift he had only smiled. We'd sat on the grass, enjoying the rare sunny day and talking about trivial topics. But something had been brewing beneath Edward's calm exterior. With the ecstasy of giving him his present I had forgotten all about the one thing that had earlier made me anxious.

He had a gift for me, too.

But why hadn't he said anything? I could tell he hadn't forgotten. Vampires didn't just _forget_.

Was he waiting for me to say something? Or was he afraid I'd throw a fit if he mentioned it?

But after bringing me home after our perfect day, he finally brought the subject up. Edward set me on my bed carefully and took a step back, grinning more than he had the entire afternoon.

"One more thing before we end this beautiful day."

I groaned.

Chuckling at my missing enthusiasm, he came closer. He was near enough for me to feel the cold radiating off his skin, making goose bumps appear on my pale skin.

"Be nice. You already agreed to this. I promise it didn't cost me a dime."

"Really?" I couldn't imagine Edward _not_ spending money on this. If he had his way, I'd be wearing diamond necklaces and gold bracelets everyday. His last birthday present had been perfect; I could only hope he had kept my taste for simple presents in mind while getting this gift for me.

"Yes, really. Now, close your eyes."

I reluctantly did as I was told, my hands placed on my lap. The urge to take a peek was nearly irresistible, but I managed by squeezing my eyes so tightly shut that it hurt. Edward chuckled again at my no doubt ridiculous expression.

Suddenly, I felt something cold pick my one hand up from where I had laid it on my lap. I quickly clenched my fingers into a fist, but of course my weak muscles were no match to Edward as he forced my hand open.

And then he laid something on my palm.

I was expecting the object to feel smooth against my skin, but to my great surprise, I found the mysterious item anything _but_ smooth. The surface was rough and uneven; a few small holes and cracks decorated the edges. I tried to open my eyes, but Edward placed his now free hand over them.

"Not yet. First I want you to guess what it is."

Another groan from me. He was going to torture me, and I saw he wanted to do it properly.

"Aren't we a little too old for these immature games?"

"I'm only a century old. We still have plenty of time to grow up. Now, make a guess."

I pursed my lips as I twirled the unknown object in my hands. It didn't have a certain shape, but it felt more like it was broken off from somewhere. The rough surface scraped my skin with its sharp edges. It was a little heavy, like a rock.

_A rock._

This was definitely unusual of Edward. I thought he liked flashy, expensive presents. He wasn't someone who picked up a stone from the nearest forest and gave it to his fiancée. Not that I'd mind.

"What… is it a rock?"

Edward removed his hand from my eyes. I looked down at my palm.

It _was_ a rock. My mouth popped open in surprise.

The gray stone was about the size of my palm. Its edges were, as I had correctly guessed, pretty sharp, but now I saw the slight bluntness that had perhaps been caused by years of friction. It was more flat than round, and one side had two little waves over the surface. The other was rougher, and I reckoned it was the side where the rock had been torn away from... from what? Maybe a pillar? Apart from that and the antique feeling of the object, there was nothing special whatsoever about it. It was _very_ abnormal of Edward.

"You only guessed half the truth, Bella," he said, staring at me with that same, sheepish smile plastered on his face. I wondered briefly what he meant with his last statement and continued to survey the object in my hand. Yes, it originated undeniably from a pillar of some sort; the waving suggested an old-fashioned column of the ancient world. The rock obviously had some meaning to it - why else would Edward have given it to me?

"What's the story?"

Edward sat down on the bed beside me. "I was thinking about what to get to you - your phobia of me spending money on you didn't make it exactly easy - when I came up with an idea. I wanted the present to have some value other than a financial one, and I wanted it to represent my love for you. I wanted it to symbolize _you_. But what in the world could even slightly summarize your beauty, your kindness, the way you practically drive me mad every day…"

I blushed at his words. But I still didn't see their connection with the rock in my hand.

"You are such a complicated person. There's no way to condense all your character and beauty into just one object! You often compare me with a Greek god, but haven't you ever thought about how much you are one yourself? Your very presence fills me with longing, like Aphrodite… And that was when I thought of this. You are Aphrodite. No, of course you are so much more, but the goddess of love, passion and beauty is the only thing even remotely close to you.

"You didn't want me to spend money on your present, so I knew I couldn't pay anybody to make you a statue or buy one myself. I really wanted to give you a whole temple, but you'd never accept that, would you? So instead, I got you _part_ of a temple."

I stared at the rock in front of me. It all made sense - it was exactly something that Edward would get me. A part of a temple. I couldn't help but smile at his yet another perfect gift.

"I knew you would like it. I got it from Rome, actually, on the excuse of leaving for a hunting trip last weekend. The biggest Venus temple, Aphrodite's Roman parallel, was situated there. Unfortunately, not much is left of it to see, but the pillars are still standing. I broke a small piece off the highest of them all. Let it always remind you of how beautiful and loving you are."

The rock was suddenly more than just an object. I imagined the temple in my mind, the Romans walking inside to worship their goddess of love. The stone wasn't gray and rough-surfaced anymore, but covered in glorious, white marble, and rising high above the ground.

I fell into Edward's arms and whispered him my thanks. Tears were forming in my eyes; I knew it was only a matter of time until they spilled over. Edward gave in to my embrace and cradled me against his chest, the stone pressing against my stomach from the pressure.

It was the perfect gift! Even though I was a little doubtful about my alleged beauty, the love and passion part were certainly true. I loved Edward with all my heart and dedication, so I let the stone symbolize just that. It was beautiful, and it hadn't cost him anything…

_It hadn't cost him anything._ Horror crept up my chest.

"Edward… you… you didn't _run_ to Rome, did you?"

"No, silly. I flew with the plane."

Oh no.

"Just for this?"

"Just for that."

Double oh no.

"The plane tickets…"

But he was already gone; the window hung open from the force of is impact. His laugh still lingered in the air.

I threw the rock onto my bed, and crossed my arms tightly across my chest. Edward couldn't run from me forever.

Sooner or later, Adonis and Aphrodite were going to have a little talk.


End file.
